Europe protests: More marches as France's President Emmanuel Macron vows no repeat of riots

French President Emmanuel Macron is pledging to prevent a repeat of riots and looting as the Yellow Vest movement files plans for a major Paris march that will present the government with its next big test.

Mr Macron said on Wednesday that those seeking to cause disorder at the protests on Saturday would be stopped, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu met union leaders in an effort to defuse one of the worst crises France has faced in recent years.

A representative of the “Gilets Jaunes” (Yellow Vests) movement, a grassroots group not tied to the unions, presented plans for a march across the heart of Paris, including areas that were ransacked just days ago.

Student groups have also called for protests the same day to push demands for greater investment in education.

Yellow Vest activists are seeking to revive their campaign, which emerged in 2018, against rising living costs and declining public services.

Last weekend’s demonstrations rapidly degenerated into rampant violence, especially in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Limoges, which the overwhelmed police took hours to contain.

Mr Macron said he would meet intelligence officials, Mr Lecornu and other ministers on Thursday to obtain a detailed account of the October 17 unrest.

“Those who want to cause disorder in city centres next Saturday will be prevented from doing so,” Macron told reporters during a visit to Qatar, where he has been seeking energy deals as France grapples with rising fuel costs.

“There must be no wavering at the top of the state.”

Government ministers have promised a vastly reinforced security operation after acknowledging shortcomings in their initial response, with troops expected to be deployed alongside additional police.

Macron accused some foreign leaders of spreading misinformation about what had happened, after US President Donald Trump in particular has blamed the turbulence on mass migration and radical Islam, saying it was a warning for Americans.

France’s main unions have separately called a nationwide mobilisation for November 5.

A second consecutive night of local curfews passed without major incidents in areas hit by the unrest, offering the government some respite as it prepared for fresh demonstrations.

The unrest has triggered a political backlash ahead of presidential elections in 2027, with candidates from the far right and hard left performing strongly in polls.

“The government has lost control of everything,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen told Franceinfo radio.

The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), which has denied allegations by ministers of fuelling the unrest, criticised plans to deploy troops onto the streets of Paris.

“Demonstrators are not enemies within. The French government must not go to war against its own people,” LFI’s parliamentary group said in a statement.

Protests in other European countries, including Italy and Albania, have added to concerns that anger over living standards risks spreading around the continent.

Italy approved a raft of security measures on Tuesday, including a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration and tougher penalties for rioters in response to the turbulence last weekend.